Memorial Day isn’t just the unofficial start of summer. It’s more than backyard cookouts, mattress sales, and pool openings. At its heart, it’s a day to pause. To remember the people who gave their lives in service to our country. It’s a reminder that freedom has a cost—and that gratitude should never be out of season.
As a mom, I’ve started thinking more about how we mark this day as a family. Yes, we still grill. We still gather. But I want our kids to understand why they have the freedom to play in the yard while burgers sizzle on the grill. I want them to feel something deeper.
Because Memorial Day teaches us something powerful—not just about sacrifice, but about what it means to live with purpose, compassion, and responsibility. These are lessons our kids need more than ever.
1. Service matters.
Whether it’s military service or showing up for your community, Memorial Day reminds us that real strength comes from helping others. I want my kids to grow up knowing that being a good citizen isn’t just about voting—it’s about pitching in, lending a hand, and putting others before yourself when it counts.
2. Gratitude shouldn’t be quiet.
It’s easy to say “thank you” and move on. But I want my kids to stop and really think about who they’re thanking. To understand that the rights they have weren’t handed to them—they were earned by others who gave everything. I want them to honor that, not just once a year, but in how they live.
3. Respect is powerful.
On Memorial Day, we lower flags and speak in hushed tones at ceremonies. We honor lives with silence. That kind of respect—humble, deep, and quiet—is something I want my children to learn. Not just for veterans, but for all people. For teachers, for workers, for neighbors. Everyone deserves dignity.
4. Remembering matters.
In a fast-moving world, it’s easy to forget the past. But Memorial Day pulls us back. It asks us to remember people we never met. It asks us to care anyway. That’s the kind of heart I want to raise in my home. A heart that remembers and honors, even when it’s inconvenient.
5. Freedom comes with responsibility.
Our kids have so much. So many choices. So much opportunity. And while I want them to enjoy that, I also want them to feel responsible for it. To protect it, to use it well, and to make space for others to have it too.
So this Memorial Day, we’ll take time to remember. We’ll talk about sacrifice. We’ll thank those who gave everything. And we’ll talk about how to live in a way that honors them—not just with flags and flowers, but with actions.
Because raising good citizens starts at home. It starts with little conversations and everyday choices. And it grows when we connect the dots between the freedoms we have and the people who made them possible.
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 